Steak Au Poivre And Broiled Stuffed Tomatoes Food

STEAK AU POIVRE

Steps:

• Put peppercorns in a small resalable plastic bag and hit with a rolling pin until coarsely crushed. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels and season well salt. Dip 1 side of each steak into the peppercorns and press to help adhere.
• Heat the butter and oil in a 10-inch heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium-heat until just smoking.
• Add the steaks, peppercorn side up to the hot pan and cook, undisturbed, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook, pressing the steaks down in the pan so that the peppercorns adhere, about 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Remove to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest at least 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings, return the pan to the stove over medium heat, add the shallots and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in the beef broth and brandy. Scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate any browned bits and cook until slightly thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the cream and any accumulated meat juices and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar and season, to taste, with salt. Transfer the steaks to serving plates and drizzle with the sauce.

MEXICAN STUFFED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Cut the tops off 4 tomatoes and trim a thin slice off the bottoms so that they will sit upright easily. Hollow out the tomatoes with a spoon over garbage bowl or sink. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper. Remove stem of remaining tomato. Seed and chop tomato.
• In a bowl, combine chopped tomato, pimentos, onions, zucchini, jalapeno, lemon juice, oregano and cilantro or parsley. Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over the bowl. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the bowl in a slow stream or about 2 tablespoons. Toss mixture to combine and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Fill the empty tomatoes with stuffing and serve.

FILET MIGNON AU POIVRE WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO DEMI-GLACE AND SAUTEED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Steps:

• To make the tomato demi-glace, heat grapeseed oil in a medium saucepot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and scallions and saute lightly for 1 minute. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, vinegar, beef base and liquid. Let reduce by half.
• Blanch Brussels sprouts until just tender and drain well. Fry bacon until crisp in a large skillet with oven safe handles and drain on paper towels. Pour most of the bacon fat from the pan and melt butter over medium heat in the same pan. Sprinkle paprika over the cut side of blanched Brussels sprouts and saute cut side down in butter, leaving undisturbed for a few minutes to let the caramelization process begin. Transfer to a bowl, crumble bacon over, toss lightly and keep warm. Reserve pan for the steak.
• Strain tomato demi-glace through a chinois into a small bowl. Cover and keep warm by nesting bowl into another bowl of hot water
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Mash garlic and cracked pepper together with a mortar and pestle and set aside briefly. Season filet mignon with salt and pepper. Heat grapeseed oil over medium-high heat in the same oven-safe saute pan. Sear steak leaving undisturbed for the first 2 minutes or so to let the caramelization process begin. Flip steaks and cook the other side in the same way. Cook to an internal temperature of 115 degrees F as measured with an instant-read thermometer for medium-rare, or done to your liking. Remove from heat and press garlic/pepper paste onto surface of steaks. Finish in oven until the crust becomes golden brown, about 2 to 5 minutes. (Remember to use an oven mitt to remove pan from oven.)
• Reheat demi-glace over low heat, remove from burner and whisk in cubed butter to make sauce silky.
• Arrange Brussels sprouts and filet mignon on plate. Spoon tomato demi-glace over steak and serve.

CREAMED SPINACH STUFFED TOMATOES

Steps:

• Place the cream in a small pot and reduce by half by gently simmering 20 minutes.
• Heat a medium skillet with olive oil over medium heat, add onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain the spinach by wringing dry in clean kitchen towel. Separate the spinach with your hands and add to onions and garlic. Season spinach with nutmeg then stir in the reduced cream. Adjust flavor with salt and pepper.
• Preheat broiler.
• Trim the tops off tomatoes and scoop out the seeds. Stuff tomatoes with creamed spinach and top each with 1/4 cup blue cheese. Broil to brown the cheese. Garnish the tomatoes with chives.

STEAK AU POIVRE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pat the tenderloin dry with paper towels and sprinkle all sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper - you should see the seasoning on the meat. Place a large skillet or roasting pan over medium-high flame, drizzle with the oil, and just when it begins to smoke lay the tenderloin in the hot pan. Brown on all sides until a crust forms and the meat is well-seared, about 7 minutes total. Toss the fresh thyme and rosemary on top of the tenderloin and transfer the whole thing to the oven; roast for 20 to 25 minutes for medium-rare.
• Remove the tenderloin to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Pour off the excess fat from the pan and put it back on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the shallots to the pan drippings, saute, stirring with a spoon to scrape up the flavors in the bottom. Take the pan off the heat and pour in the cognac (premeasure - never pour directly from the bottle!) Put the pan back on the heat and tilt it slightly over the burner to ignite the alcohol, or light with a kitchen lighter. The cognac will flame for a few seconds then go out as the alcohol burns off. Stir in the demi-glace and cream, simmer for about 1 minute to thicken the sauce so it coats a spoon. Finish the sauce by stirring in the mustard and peppercorns until incorporated. Taste and season with salt, if necessary.
• To serve: pile the watercress on a serving platter, cut the tenderloin into 1/2-inch thick slices and arrange it on top of the greens. Drizzle the sauce over the beef and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve the steak au poivre with pommes frites.

FILET OF BEEF AU POIVRE

Steps:

• Place the filets on a board and pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the filets with salt and then press the black pepper evenly on both sides. Allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
• Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter and the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until the butter almost smokes. Place the steaks in the pan and lower the heat to medium. Saute the steaks for 4 minutes on 1 side and then for 3 minutes on the other side, for medium rare. Remove the steaks to a serving platter and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
• Meanwhile, pour all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the saute pan. Add the shallots and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth and cook over high heat for 4 to 6 minutes, until reduced by half, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the Cognac and cook for 2 more minutes. Off the heat, swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve the steaks hot with the sauce poured on top.